Disclaimer: I was inspired by jenn's backwards storytelling. I had no idea what was going to happen until the end, but luckily that came at the beginning so there was less suspense. X-Men author jenn writes "On Love and Lust at Mutant High" and BVE owns the Power Rangers.
by Starhawk
It had started out as a good day. Not just for her, either; she had felt the easy camaraderie of a team that morning in the warmup area. There were still things unsaid between them, Zhane's stiffness around Andros was proof enough of that. But it had all been consigned to the background, at least for the time being, and they had managed to tease each other without anyone getting upset or storming off.
Their unity in front of Kristet, too, had been a heartening reminder that they would still support each other without question. And when Cassie and Saryn joined them for breakfast, it was almost like the old days. Ty and Kyril fit into the banter with surprisingly little effort, taking no offense at in jokes born of a shared history, and she couldn't help remembering a time when she had been the 'new' one. She knew she hadn't made it look as natural as they did.
Then Saryn, Cassie, and Kyril had gotten directions in and around Keyota, commandeered Andros' hover, and taken off for some sightseeing while the rest of them headed for Quon. It had been an innocuous start, even if Saryn's presence had seemed to set Zhane more on edge than usual and the media had managed to catch up with them before they'd even left the hangar. There hadn't been anything to suggest it would end like this.
Stroking Ashley's hair gently, she stared out over the valley and wondered idly where their sightseeing friends had ended up. That hadn't returned since this morning, and if she knew Saryn he wouldn't confine himself to Keyota just because that was the only place for which he had directions. She wondered, too, if he had allowed Kyril to wander off on his own, confident in his own ability to protect Cassie on the surface of a planet if not in space.
Ashley sniffled again, and she sighed silently. She had long since run out of things to say, but her friend seemed to need the company as much as anything. So they sat here, not far from the hangar entrance... not nearly far enough as far as Ashley was concerned, she suspected, but it was getting dark and no one had come looking for them since the incident on the mats.
Andros had her working with Ty, which slowed both of them down and demonstrated beyond a doubt why they needed the practice. She tried to ignore Andros and his patient smirk, knowing it wasn't directed at her. Even if forcing her to synch with Ty was the only way he could beat her lately--
That wasn't fair, and she knew it. He was good, maybe as good as she was, if in a different way. She had sometimes been tempted, as Astronema, to challenge him just for the entertainment value. She had known in the back of her mind, though, that if she lost she would never be able to walk away. So she allowed Ecliptor to fight her battles, as a bodyguard ought, while she waited and watched.
Now she had a whole new reason to be glad she had never taken him on as Astronema. When they sparred, there was no doubt in her mind that they were as close to equals as anyone she knew. If they had ever fought, really fought without interruption or backup or tricks... one of them would have ended up dead.
Unfortunately for her, Ty was no match for either of them, and being up against Andros was challenge enough without having Ty at her back. She could have protected him with her magic; they all knew that. She'd done it before. But Andros had banned magic on the mats, much to her amusement, saying that wasn't what sparring was about.
She watched carefully as Ty and Andros engaged, knowing that Andros, at least, was watching her just as closely. He had the same ability to split his focus that she did, born of necessity and long practical experience in battle. She was just waiting for an opening, the moment that would make him vulnerable before Ty was--
"Ow! Watch it!" The sharpness of Zhane's tone was all she needed. Andros hesitated, just for a moment, and Kerone swung around Ty to take his feet out from under him. Andros went down and stayed there, glaring up at her in a way that would have made anyone else feel guilty.
She just smiled down at him. "Kill," she said innocently. It wasn't, not really--Andros had recovered from worse and he could bounce out of this at a moment's notice, even with her and Ty on guard. But he wouldn't. She had gotten him fair and square.
The genuine annoyance in Zhane's voice as he swore at Ashley caught even her attention this time, and she looked around in surprise. Zhane, too, was on the ground, but Ashley had drawn his arm up behind his back and pinned him there. "Kick me while I'm down, why don't you," he was saying irritably, twisting his head enough that he could breathe. "I forfeit already!"
Ashley scrambled to her feet, a stricken look on her face. Zhane rolled over slowly, cradling his arm against his chest as he sat up. "Are you all right?" she blurted, voice breaking a little when he winced. "Zhane, I'm so sorry."
"Yeah, me too," he muttered, giving her a not very convincing smile. "I think you're getting stronger."
"Are you all right?" Andros repeated, and she blinked. He was hovering, clearly seconds from dropping to Zhane's side and doing who-knew-what to stave off a feeling of utter helplessness. She hadn't even seen him get up. "Is it your shoulder?"
Kerone fully expected Zhane to roll his eyes and dismiss the entire thing. Ashley couldn't really have hurt him; she had better control than that. And Zhane wouldn't take Andros coddling him in any case.
But when Zhane tried to shrug it off he winced and aborted the motion abruptly. "No," he said anyway. "I'm fine. Just twisted my wrist a little, that's all."
"Let me see," Andros demanded, going to his knees when Zhane made no move to stand up. "Can you move your fingers?"
"Of course I can move my fingers," Zhane said, exasperated. "Look, I told you I'm fine. I just need to sit out for a few minutes."
Kerone glanced over at Ashley, who was biting her lip as she watched the two of them focus their entire attention on each other. She looked a moment from bursting into tears, and Kerone couldn't tell whether it was because she'd hurt Zhane or because they were deliberately excluding her. Andros had barely spoken a word to anyone since they'd come back from Quon, and even Zhane's jokes at lunch had seemed a little forced.
"It's me or DECA," Andros was telling Zhane. "Move your fingers or I'm sending you up to the Megaship so she can check you out."
"You'll do that anyway," Zhane grumbled, but he wiggled his fingers obediently. "Happy?"
"Wrist," Andros ordered, and Zhane flexed his wrist without complaint. Then Andros took his hand and bent each of his fingers carefully, watching Zhane's face for any sign of reaction. Zhane visibly flinched when Andros pressed the middle finger against his palm, and Andros' lips thinned.
"Rotate your shoulder," Andros said at last, letting go of his hand. "Do it," he added, when Zhane opened his mouth to protest.
Zhane did it, but not without obvious difficulty. Andros just frowned at him, then shook his head. "DECA," he said, glancing up at the air.
There was a brief pause, and then the hologram coalesced out of nothingness. "Yes, Andros?" DECA didn't look at Zhane, but then, she didn't have to. The hologram was only an interface, not a representation of her actions, and she had probably scanned them all in less time than it had taken her to answer.
"I need you to check out Zhane's arm," Andros told her. "Take him up to the medical bay and make sure he didn't break anything. I'll be there in a minute."
"Certainly." DECA's hologram glanced at Zhane then, waiting for him to clamber to his feet. He was distinctly favoring his right arm, even as he stood. Then they were gone, Zhane into the teleportation stream and DECA into thin air.
"We're done here," Andros said curtly, gaze sliding across the three of them without seeming to see them. "If Kristet calls, tell her to contact the Megaship."
"Andros--" Ashley stopped when he looked at her, really looked at her, his gaze almost going through her. She swallowed hard. "Tell Zhane I'm sorry, okay?"
Andros' gaze softened, and for just a moment Kerone thought he was going to reassure her. But he just nodded, then turned and headed off the mats. Grabbing his sweatshirt and his digimorpher, he vanished in a shower of sparkles without another word.
Ashley's head was resting on her shoulder, maybe cried out, maybe not. She hadn't said anything other than "I didn't mean it," but that was enough to worry Kerone. There was something in her head that she didn't mean, and that was more serious than any mistake she had made on the mats. But Kerone wasn't sure her friend would tell her if she asked, and she didn't want her any more upset than she already was.
A soft rustle of grass made her look up, instinct prompting her that this was more than the wind. No one escaped assassination as long as she had without developing that particular brand of awareness. Her eyes met another gaze the moment she lifted her head, despite the distance between them.
Kristet looked surprised to have been noticed, but her steps didn't falter. She continued to pick her way across the ground toward them, understanding that she wouldn't just walk up to the door again whether her message was for them or not. She didn't watch where she was going, keeping her gaze fixed on Kerone.
What exactly she expected Kerone to do to her was an interesting question.
"You're not welcome here, Cricket," Kerone said softly, as soon as the reporter was within hearing range. She deliberately used Ashley's silly and somewhat mocking nickname from this morning, but Kristet didn't react.
Ashley lifted her head with a start, following her gaze without prompting. She stared at the reporter for a moment, then deliberately turned away. There was no mistaking her stiff posture and averted gaze, though her reaction was no doubt intensified by the fact that Kristet had seen her now, of all times.
"Look," Kristet said, just as quietly. "I'm sorry if I got in the middle of something I shouldn't have. I was only trying to see things the way the rest of the world sees them."
"I don't care about the rest of the world." Kerone held that stare without a thought. If the woman expected Dark Spectre's former second-in-command to blink first, she was setting herself up for disappointment. "I only care about what you've done to my friends."
Kristet actually sighed, and Kerone caught the flicker of impatience that implied the other woman thought she was being unreasonable. "My camera runs all the time," she informed Kerone. "The fact that it catches things you don't want to see isn't my fault."
"What about what we want the rest of the world to see?" Ashley interrupted, her voice hoarse with tears as she stared out across the hills. She didn't turn to look at Kristet. "Can't our private lives be private?"
"I brought the story," Kristet said quickly. "Like you wanted. K-Wind gave me the extra time because I told them you wouldn't let it air at all if you didn't see it first.
"None of that's in there," she added, glancing back at Kerone. "It's just sim and attack footage and excerpts from your interviews. Just because I record everything doesn't mean I use it."
"Where's Zhane?" Andros wanted to know, draping his arms over the back of Ashley's chair as he glanced around the room. The question was casual, and Kerone saw Ashley reach up to pat his hand absently.
"He's giving Kristet a tour," she answered, studying the lighted hologram between her and Ty. "He made her leave her camera behind," she added, before Andros could protest. She gestured off to one side, where Kristet's camera was sitting idle by the drinks bar.
"On pain of death are we to lose it," Ty remarked, sounding amused. He didn't look up from the game either. "Apparently she doesn't consider a fighter base very secure."
"PD pilots are pretty untrustworthy," Ashley agreed. "Like someone would just walk off with it."
Andros didn't answer, but Kerone saw him frown as he leaned forward to rest his chin on the back of the chair. He seemed to be staring at the game Ashley and Ty were playing, a holographic Connect-4 they had found in the pilots' lounge. Seemed to be, at least... he didn't react when Ty lost, and normally that would have prompted at least a smile from Andros.
As Ashley reset the game, Andros straightened. "I'm going to try to catch Marsie before the debriefing," he said suddenly. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Ashley looked up as he pulled his hand out of hers. "Something wrong?" she asked curiously.
He shook his head, smiling at her. "No," he promised. "Just distracted. I'll be back."
She nodded, clearly not satisfied, but he left without a backwards glance. She was frowning when she glanced over at Kerone. "That was weird," she said at last, and Kerone privately agreed. If Andros had been that restless, why had he bothered coming by the lounge at all? And if he had only been looking for Zhane, why hadn't he just said so instead of making excuses?
"Not weird," Ty countered, standing up and stretching idly. "Just Andros. And he did get swarmed pretty badly out there."
"Maybe," Ashley said slowly. "I guess it's been a while since we've fought in space."
"Andros doesn't let that get to him," Kerone reminded her. "Outnumbered or no, he gets over battles quickly. I've never seen him dwell on them before."
"Maybe he wasn't dwelling," Ashley suggested, still frowning a little. "Maybe he really does want to talk to Commander Marsie about something."
Kerone shook her head. "Then why didn't he tell us what it was? Besides, he didn't have to come all the way down here just to tell us he was going back up to the fighter bay."
"Ty!" Ashley had glanced over at their teammate and done a double take. "What are you doing?"
Ty didn't look up from Kristet's camera. "Just checking out her footage," he said easily. He didn't sound the slightest bit guilty. "She was recording us; why shouldn't we be able to see it?"
"Remind me never to leave my journal anywhere you can find it," Ashley muttered.
Ty just smiled, not taking his eyes off the little screen. "Guess you don't want to know what she recorded between interviews then, huh?"
"I thought she turned her camera off when we weren't talking!" Ashley looked torn between indignation and curiosity.
"I'm not sure she ever turns it off," Ty said dryly. "It looks like she even had it running while we were walking down the hall."
"Are you serious?" Ashley was on her feet, abandoning any pretense of indifference. She sidled over to Ty, peering over his shoulder when he tilted the camera screen for her. "How can you tell when the picture's that small?"
"Plug it into the comm screen," Kerone suggested, swinging her feet idly against the counter. "I want to see, too."
"Would you let her read your journal?" Ty asked Ashley, but he carried the camera over to the comm and hooked it up.
"She doesn't have to," Ashley said, exchanging wry glances with Kerone. "She already knows everything I do anyway."
The PD logo was replaced by the audiovisual feed from Kristet's camera, and Kerone craned her neck to see around Ashley and Ty. Either Ty had started in the middle or Kristet had replaced her memory card just before the sim, because the recording picked up just as Kristet was introduced to Marsie. The commander had not been pleased, but she had smiled pleasantly and proceeded to ignore Kristet for the rest of the morning.
"Wow," Ty remarked. "You can't even tell Commander Marsie wanted to throw her off the base." He paused, watching the camera's field of view swing away as they morphed and then back. "Well, now you can."
"Marsie didn't know she was recording then," Ashley murmured. "You're right, she really does run her camera all the time."
"That's nothing," Ty told her. "Her entire ride into orbit is on there, plus our takeoff, engagement with the fake velocifighters, mild chaos when the real ones show up--that's probably pretty funny, actually; let's skip to that part.
"That's what I thought," he said after a moment. "Her camera must have been tied into the sim screens on the orbital station. She couldn't tell even tell real velocifighters had arrived until the comms went crazy."
"Do you really think Andros is going to let her keep that?" Ashley murmured, watching as Kristet questioned her escort intently about what was happening.
"Don't know," Ty said thoughtfully. "He had to be rescued... do you think he wants that on a planetary broadcast?"
"He got in the middle of that to save a fighter," Kerone pointed out. "He comes off looking heroic, not helpless."
"Oh..." Ashley's sigh was soft, and Ty stopped the camera's "skip" function as Kristet joined them after the fight. The zords had set down and she had caught up to Ty just as the Black Ranger circled around the outside of his zord and headed for the others.
Ashley, too was coming around her zord, and Kerone was leaning up against her cat's front paw. Zhane and Andros were standing in the middle of the circle formed by the zords' pack pattern, Andros' back to Kristet as her camera caught and focused on the scene. They were holding hard to each other, and even from a distance it was clear this wasn't a casual hug.
Zhane's eyes were closed, and he pressed Andros against him as though he had almost lost something more important to him than life. Kerone understood. They had all felt the same way, to varying degrees, when Andros' zord had been surrounded and set upon by dozens of too-real velocifighters. It had taken precious moments for the sim lock to release their controls, their scanners and their weapons both, and in that brief eternity she had wondered how Andros had known.
Then they were free, not to realize until later that the velocifighters had been jamming the network. It has felt like an eternity because it had been--far too long an interval for nothing to have happened, the zords at least should have been able to override sim safeties at will. The fact that Andros could have paid the price for that failure was one Zhane was obviously all too aware of.
Within the zord circle, Ashley had hesitated, though Kristet's camera hadn't caught it. She had looked over at Kristet and stopped where she was. Watching the boys cling to each other, Kerone hadn't missed the smile on her face--or the sadness in her eyes.
"Okay, enough of that touchy-feely stuff." Ty made the camera skip again, and the image vanished. "Let's--"
"Wait." Ashley, who had watched the scene replay with the same fond wistfulness that she had worn the first time, now sounded wary and uncompromising. "Go back."
"What, to the set-down?" Ty sounded even less enthusiastic than Kerone had expected, and she studied the back of his head curiously. "Why?"
"No." Ashley lifted one finger, staring at the screen. "Just go back... There--stop."
"Kristet navigates the exciting corridors of the Quon PD fighter base," Ty narrated, clearly bemused by her instructions. "Yes, this is clearly the recording of someone who has far too many memory cards and no discretionary ability whatsoever when it comes to--"
"Ty," Ashley said quietly. "Shut up."
Ty looked at her in surprise, but he didn't say a word as the camera's view went through the door of Bay Control, where Andros and Zhane had gone to meet with Marsie after the sim blew up in their faces. Or rather, Andros had gone to meet with Marsie and Zhane had refused to let him out of his sight. It was a not-so-subtle distinction.
Kerone regarded the screen dispassionately as the camera caught the two of them alone in the control room. There was no way Andros would have let Kristet keep her camera, let alone those particular moments, if he'd had any clue she was recording then. He obviously didn't even know she was there at first, but she assumed that would change quickly enough.
She assumed wrong. She glanced over at Ashley, who had gone very pale but refused to look away from the screen. Ty, on the other hand, looked more exasperated than surprised. "You'd think they don't have two perfectly good bedrooms," he muttered under his breath. But he didn't look away either.
The camera's field of view finally shifted, and Kerone's eyes widened. Kristet knew they wouldn't want that recorded and had deliberately hidden her camera before getting their attention. It was still recording. She wasn't that scared of Andros. She was only cautious enough not to flaunt what she was doing.
"Go back," Ashley whispered.
Ty glanced at her, and whatever he saw on her face made him frown. "Don't you think we should--"
"Just go back," Ashley repeated, her voice stronger now. "We can delete it afterward."
Ty shrugged, and once again Kristet was walking through the door to Bay Control. Andros was backed up against the wall while Zhane had his hands pressed against the metal on either side of Andros' head. They kissed frantically, feverishly, as though it was the only thing keeping them alive. They moved against each other as if they'd been alone for hours, not the scant minutes they must have had between finding the room empty and being happened upon by Kristet.
The part of Kerone's mind that wasn't worrying about Ashley wondered if Andros had ever lost control like that with her. Behind closed doors, maybe, but in so public a place and with complete disregard for the consequences? Andros didn't... it wasn't something she had ever expected of him.
"And this room will probably look familiar," Zhane's voice interrupted, cheerfully narrating their entrance to the pilots' lounge. "Our tour concludes exactly where it started, which is good for me because I'm hungry and convenient for you because you can pick up your..."
Kerone glanced over at him, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Ty turn with what was definitely a guiltier look than usual. Ashley hadn't moved. Zhane and Kristet were both caught by the images on the comm screen, but Kristet's gaze immediately switched to her camera while Zhane watched as the field of view once against shifted to the floor.
"Well," he remarked, not batting an eye at the scene they'd interrupted. "Nothing improves your technique like being caught on camera."
Ashley turned around and made her way across the room without a word. She stopped by the table to gather up her jacket. Then she walked out into the hallway, their silence lasting until the moment she disappeared.
Zhane swore softly.
"I'll just delete this, then," Ty said quickly.
Kerone saw Kristet open her mouth to protest, and a glare was all it took to silence her. She slid off of the counter and paused beside Zhane, putting a hand on his shoulder. He didn't acknowledge the gesture in any way. After a moment she followed Ashley out into the hallway.
"Just because it happens," Ashley told the night bitterly, "doesn't mean it should be recorded." She still didn't look at Kristet.
"Recording is just another form of observation," Kristet answered, surprising Kerone with her neutral tone. "It's only when you share observations with people who couldn't or shouldn't have made them that it becomes an ethical violation."
"The only point of recording something is to share it," Kerone snapped. "Don't preach to her. I don't like it."
"I'm trying to explain to you why I do what I do," Kristet said carefully, patiently. "I'm not trying to preach to anyone."
"Then explain it to me," Kerone retorted. "Right now, I'm the one deciding whether you'll ever come here again."
"You may not think you can trust me," Kristet said with a sigh, "but I wish you'd at least look at the story before you jump to any conclusions about my motivation."
"You may be able to write a decent story," Kerone countered, "but I'd rather hear about your motivation in your own words, without cameras or dubbing or special effects."
"Shared experience."
Kerone waited, but that was it. "What about it?"
"That's my motivation." Kristet hadn't taken her eyes off of Kerone, even when Ashley shifted a little so that she didn't have her back at a right angle to Kristet's line of sight. "I want people to be able to share each other's experiences. That's why I became media."
"Some experiences aren't meant to be shared," Kerone told her. "Sometimes sharing doesn't help anyone, least of all the people who didn't agree to it to begin with."
Kristet's voice turned unexpectedly steely. "I would never disregard a subject's wishes with regard to recorded material."
"Even when the recording itself violates their wishes?" Ashley's words were quiet and forlorn, and they brought a long silence to the dimness.
"You don't trust me," Kristet said at last, the hard edge gone from her voice. "But I trust you, so I'm going to tell you something that most of the people I work with don't know."
"I think she's obsessed with Andros and Zhane," Ashley whispered, grinning at Kerone's instant eye roll. "It's not just me, huh?"
"I don't know how she could be less subtle," Kerone whispered back. They were trailing after Zhane and Ty, who were in turn hanging back from Andros and Kristet as they passed the gate. They had barely arrived at the Quon fighter base and already Kristet was in full investigative mode.
"She's like a cricket," Ashley said with a giggle. "She just keeps saying the same things and expecting a different answer. Marsie's going to love her."
"Andros is being more polite than I expected," Kerone noted, watching him shake his head and actually chuckle at something Kristet had said.
"That's just because her camera's going," Ashley guessed. "Or maybe he hasn't figured out what she's asking yet."
They exchanged glances, and they both smirked at the same time. "No," Ashley agreed, glancing ahead at the others. "Even Andros isn't that oblivious."
"He doesn't have Zhane to help him this time," Kerone pointed out. "On the publicity tour, Zhane took those questions and turned them into jokes."
"Why isn't he doing that this time?" Ashley murmured, her voice dropping even further. Zhane was closer to them than Andros was. "Is he even listening?"
Kerone didn't answer, waiting for Zhane to fall back with them, pretend he hadn't heard that, and distract Ashley with something inconsequential. The Silver Ranger stayed where he was, though, pacing Ty and apparently paying more attention to where he was going than the conversations of his teammates. She wasn't fooled.
"He's listening," she breathed at last, hoping to keep the words below even Zhane's ability to eavesdrop. "Maybe he thinks Andros should answer the question for once."
Ashley shot her a sharp look. "Yeah," she said after a moment. The surprise had faded, and she sounded a little bit wistful. "Maybe he should."
Kerone nudged her, tapping her temple when she caught Ashley's attention again. Ashley just nodded.
*He loves you,* Kerone said silently, keeping the words just between them. *I don't think he ever lied about that.*
*I know.* Ashley looked down the hallway again. *I just don't know if that's enough.*
*I hate hearing that,* Kerone told her bluntly.
*Not as much as I hate saying it,* Ashley shot back.
Kerone wished, just once, that she had thought before she said something. *I'm sorry.*
*It's okay,* Ashley said after a moment. *I know what you mean.*
They followed the others in silence after that, and Kerone felt only slightly vindicated when Marsie's reaction to Kristet was exactly what she had expected. The commander put up with Kristet because she had a camera, but Andros would definitely be hearing about this later. If only she could predict the reactions of other people she knew so easily.
"This isn't truth or dare," Ashley said with a sigh. Her voice drifted through the shadows, as faint as the fading sunlight. "We don't need your secrets, Kristet."
"Well, you're getting this one." Kristet hesitated, then plunged ahead when neither of them objected again. "I have a memory disorder. Kinn's disease."
She waited, obviously wondering if that meant anything to them, and Kerone shrugged. "Never heard of it."
"I guess that doesn't surprise me." It was hard to read Kristet's expression, with the remnants of sunset behind her and the lights of the hangar deliberately left off. "It's not common, and it isn't usually mild enough to let people who have it function normally."
"What's your point?" Ashley asked softly.
"The point is that I can process information, but I can't retain it in a logical order." She paused, then added, "I always, always have a camera on me. Usually more than one. And it's not because I'm a reporter."
Ashley didn't answer, and Kerone considered that at length. Finally, she freed her digimorpher and snapped it open. "DECA," she said, staring out at the valley lights. "What's Kinn's disease?"
"Kinn's disease is a rare genetic mutation that affects one out of every two hundred thousand births," DECA's voice answered immediately. "It is characterized by an inability to recall events in the order in which they occurred, the failure of the brain to associate linear cause and effect, and a highly unstable synaptic configuration that leads to limited communication skills and unpredictable reactions to environmental stimuli.
"The disease is named for the woman who first recognized it as a separate autistic disorder. Kinn's son was afflicted with the disease and spent his entire life in the care of his mother and her husband. Other individuals with the disease have since been identified but genetic manipulation has so far failed to provide a cure.
"Do you wish me to continue?" DECA inquired, pausing smoothly in mid-recitation.
"No," she said, smiling a little at the computer's consideration. "Thanks, DECA."
"You're welcome," the Megaship's computer replied.
She let her digimorpher close, dropping it to the ground beside her as she continued to consider the lights. She didn't apologize for not believing. She still wasn't sure she believed. "You're pretty normal for someone who can't remember anything," she said at last.
If anything, it was Kristet's reply that convinced her. "Thank you," was all the woman said. She made no self-deprecating remarks, no attempt to brush aside what would be a considerable accomplishment were it true. She simply took the words as the compliment they should have been, and waited.
"Let's see your story," Kerone said at last, lifting her gaze from the valley to the silhouette in front of her. "I'll take you inside."
"I'm staying here." Ashley didn't move when they both went to stand up. "Tell me what happens."
Kerone hesitated. Forcing her to come inside wouldn't help anything, but she couldn't just leave Ashley alone, either. "All right," she said at last, trying to decide whether any of her teammates could be trusted to sit quietly and not talk.
No. Andros never said the right thing, Zhane probably had his arm in a sling by now, and Ty was too unfamiliar. And Cassie wasn't back yet.
"I'll send your cat out," she decided, dropping one hand to Ashley's shoulder and squeezing it as comfortingly as she could. "Don't go anywhere."
There was the hint of a smile in Ashley's voice when she replied, "I promise, Protector Kerone."
Kristet followed without a word, camera clinking softly against her bracelet as she walked. If what she was saying was true, Kerone realized, she had just recorded their entire conversation. And yet... if it was true, could they blame her?
Kerone paused in front of the door and waited while it scanned her digimorpher. She gestured for Kristet to precede her when the door opened. The woman walked into the hangar with a confidence that made Kerone forget, just for a moment, that she had never seen it before. She meant to watch Kristet's reaction more closely, but the figure that had stepped aside to let them enter caught her attention instead.
Zhane hesitated as he caught her eye. He had clearly been on his way out, but now he waited--not because of Kristet, she thought, but because of her. She wasn't sure what to tell him. But... if he wanted to go anyway, surely he was better company than a zord?
"She says she didn't mean it," she said at last, keeping her voice quiet. Kristet was polite enough to look away. "She doesn't want to come inside yet."
Zhane just nodded, a rueful smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Know the feeling," he muttered. Then, jerking his head back the way he'd come, he added, "Andros is in the kitchen."
"Thanks," Kerone said softly. She caught his good hand as he turned, and this time he squeezed back and smiled at her.
She heard the door open a second time, but the lights stayed off. That was probably a bad sign. That meant someone knew she was here. Someone had left the lights off because they thought she wanted them off. Someone was sneaking up on her right now, hoping not to spook her before they had a chance to talk.
It had to be Zhane. He was the only one Kerone would trust in place of her cat, and at this point he might be the only other person who would come looking for her anyway. Staring down at the steadily brightening glow from the valley, she decided that was a depressing but probably deserved thought.
"Hey," Zhane's voice said, from somewhere behind and above her.
She didn't move, knowing he would take anything but outright dismissal as permission to join her. "I knew it was you."
"You can feel my charm coming a mile away, huh?" She heard him shift, but he didn't come forward to sit next to her.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," she told the valley. "I didn't mean it."
There was a quiet moment. "I know," he said at last. "Never helps me, either."
She frowned a little. "What?"
"Not meaning things," he said quietly. "They just... happen anyway."
She stared down at the lights until they started to blur together in her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she waited until she could pick out individual lights again before she answered. "Yeah," she whispered. "Things just keep happening."
There was a much shorter pause this time, and his words made her tear up all over again. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he echoed, his voice just as soft as hers.
"You didn't--" She broke off as her throat closed up, breathing in through her mouth so he wouldn't hear her sniffle. "You didn't hurt me."
"I keep saying that, too." He was standing right behind her, now, and she wondered why he didn't just sit down. "I don't... I mean, sometimes I do, but... I don't always mean it when I say it."
She thought it was probably okay to sniffle if he could hear the smile in her voice. "Not meaning things doesn't help," she reminded him. "They just happen anyway."
"Yeah," he agreed, and she could hear a smile in his voice, too. He sounded almost relieved. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Her smile renewed itself, and she craned her neck to look up at his silhouette. "Little late to ask now, isn't it?" she teased gently.
He took a step forward, dropping down beside her an easy motion that hinted he was concentrating too hard on something else. Zhane went to great lengths to cover up a natural grace that was at odds with the image he tried to project. It was more obvious when he was off-balance, distracted by something he didn't know how to handle.
She saw a sling shimmer in the twilight, and she swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, Zhane," she whispered.
"Me too," he reminded her, settling himself in the grass. "Bet I forgive you before you forgive me."
She couldn't help but smile through the tears welling up in her eyes again. "Does it always have to be a competition?"
"I don't want this thing with Andros to be a competition," he said, unexpectedly serious. "But I don't know how to make it into anything we do want it to be."
She tried to wipe at her eyes quickly, inconspicuously, but it just wasn't possible, even in the dimness. "Neither do I."
He leaned over, as if to impart some great secret. "We could always run off together," he stage-whispered. "Ditch this place and get married on some other planet, raise our hordes of children in peace. What do you say?"
She had to giggle. "I don't know where you think the hordes of children are going to come from, but--"
"Adoption," he interrupted quickly. "There are plenty of needy orphans in the galaxies. Come on, let's do it! We don't even have to pack; we could hitch to Eltare tonight and have new identities by morning!"
She was still giggling. "It scares me that you've thought about this," she said, mock-stern as she gave her eyes another swipe. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Thanks."
"No, I just proposed," he teased. "You're supposed to say 'yes', not 'thanks'."
"Thanks for making me laugh," she corrected with a smile. "Did I mention I'm sorry?"
"Did I mention I am?" he countered. "I think we've gone over that, and we're obviously not ready to forgive, so let's just forget. Let's talk about our honeymoon."
"Let's not," she said, trying to suppress another giggle. She was probably bordering on hysteria by now, but she didn't really care. It was better to feel giddy than depressed.
"Spoilsport," he accused. "I'm gonna tell Andros on you."
She couldn't help it. She burst into giggles again. "And what..." She tried to catch her breath long enough to form the words. "What are you going to say? 'Andros--Ashley won't marry me!'"
"No," Zhane interjected the moment she paused. "I'm going to say, 'Andros, Ashley doesn't want to talk about our honeymoon! I think she's afraid you'll overhear!'"
"You're terrible," she gasped, trying to recover from her last attack of giggles without succumbing to another. "I'm not speaking to you anymore!"
"If you'd stop speaking to Andros I'd have an easier time convincing him about our honeymoon," he suggested hopefully.
"I'd hit you," she informed him, "but you don't need another sling."
"That's for sure," he agreed good-naturedly. "At least you know I won't be making out with Andros tonight."
She bit her lip, sobering abruptly. "Neither will I," she said softly.
"Maybe we should gang up on him," Zhane remarked, as confidently as if the conversation hadn't gone serious in the space of a few seconds. "All three of us make out together."
She shot a sideways glance at him, trying to decide whether she should be shocked or secretly amused. Her brain kept working, but her emotions had no idea which way was up. "What?"
"I'm kind of half kidding," Zhane offered, sounding more contemplative than joking. "But I keep wondering... how does a threesome work, anyway? I mean, who kisses who when? Is it like a timeshare? Or is it just a giant kiss-fest?"
He had startled another laugh out of her. "I can't believe you just said that!"
"Well," he insisted, "it doesn't sound all bad. And it throws that whole jealousy factor right out the window."
She tried to think about it without flinching, or blushing, or both. "Does it?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," Zhane admitted after a moment. "I've never been with anyone that way."
Somehow it was easier to talk about it in the fading twilight, day gone and darkness coming in to soften things she thought she knew. "Me neither," she agreed, watching the night creep up the hills toward them. The blackness seemed to swallow everything, transforming it somehow.
"Ash?" His voice was careful, hesitant. "Would it be weird if I... if we--kissed?"
She turned to look at him, and could only see his outline in the dark. "Yeah," she said softly, smiling a little. "But mostly because I can't see you."
She felt his hand on her face a moment later, warm and uncertain as he traced his thumb across her lips and let his fingers settle on her cheek. She tilted her head instinctively, and she felt his breath of amusement on her skin as he leaned closer. "You do lean to the right," he whispered, and then his lips brushed against hers.
It was an awkward kiss, brief and not very sure of itself. Zhane hesitated, then kissed her again, quickly, as though he wasn't sure she wanted him to. She kissed him back this time, just the hint of pressure, and he pulled away.
Neither of them said anything for a moment. Finally, she gathered her courage and asked shyly, "Can I try?"
She could just barely see him nod.
She knew why he had touched her, then, as she fumbled for him in the darkness. Her hand found his neck, and she slid her fingers up to mark the side of his face. She was slow, embarrassed to bump into him and not really sure what he was thinking. But they managed to connect, mouths soft against each other as she smiled.
"You're smiling," Zhane whispered, drawing back just a little. "Is that good?"
"I guess," she murmured. "What about you?"
"I think we need more practice," he replied impishly.
She sagged against his good side with a sigh. "My brain can't take it right now," she confessed, and she felt his arm go around shoulders.
"It's not about your brain," he offered, giving her a half-hug. "I realized that weeks ago."
She sighed again, more comfortable in his embrace than she'd expected. "Maybe," she whispered, staring out at the lights again.
They were quiet, then. When he shifted she straightened up a little, but he pulled her back as soon as he resettled himself. She relaxed again, suddenly aware of how much she'd missed this contact recently. She was so self-conscious around Andros; it seemed like the only person she could hug anymore was Kerone. And Ty had been giving them odd looks for a while now.
"I don't know," she whispered aloud, not even sure what she meant. All she knew was that it was true. "I just don't know."
"Well, I do," Zhane replied.
She had to smile. "Oh, yeah?"
"Sure," he said. His voice was quiet, but he sounded perfectly serious.
"What do you know?" she asked obediently, certain he expected her to.
He squeezed her shoulders. "I know that I care about you and Andros. A lot."
"Me too," she murmured.
"Good." He sounded oddly satisfied. "Then that's enough."
She shifted, remembering what she had said to Kerone earlier. "Is it?"
"Yup." He didn't sound at all uncertain.
"Okay then," she said, the smile still tugging at her lips. Who was she to argue with someone so sure?
The valley lights clustered together, outlining the center of Keyota even from here. The outskirts twinkled, sparser lights hidden by trees or made invisible by foils. The spaces in between were nothing but shadows, unlit and unremarkable at this distance. Occasionally the running lights of a hover would flicker out of the darkness, and she followed those sparkles with her eyes until they disappeared again.
"Hey," Zhane whispered, resting his cheek against her head for just a moment. "Want to get some dinner?"
She sighed quietly. She didn't really want to go back inside. "Do we have to?"
"I was thinking down there," he said, lifting his head to nod at the lights. "We could go to that veggie place near the skyport. Just us, you know?"
She stared down at the valley for a long moment. "Yeah," she said at last. She tried to find something wrong with that idea, but she couldn't. "That sounds good."
He caught her hand as she sat up, and they helped each other to their feet in silence. He didn't let go of her hand as they headed back toward the hangar, angling around the side toward his hover. Courteous in a way she'd come to expect, he opened her door for her and waited until she got inside to close it.
He paused then, leaning against the passenger side of the hover. "Think we should tell anyone where we're going?"
"I don't want to," she admitted, tracing the design in front of her idly. "But they'll get mad if we don't."
"He'll get mad if we don't," Zhane corrected ruefully.
"Yeah," she said, smiling a little. "We could tell DECA."
He straightened, snapping his fingers. "I like it. He can't say we weren't safe that way."
Ashley pulled her digimorpher out as he walked around the hover. "DECA," she said, glancing over at Zhane as he climbed in beside her. "Zhane and I are going into Keyota for dinner. Tell Andros if he asks, okay?"
"Certainly, Ashley," DECA's voice replied. "Have a good time."
She smiled. "Thanks."
"I think she likes you better," Zhane complained, starting the hover and retracting its solar panels.
"No," Ashley said softly. She watched the ground slide past underneath them while the hover swung around, making the grass shadows billow in the darkness as they pulled away from the hangar. "She just likes me differently."
Zhane didn't have any answer for that.
fin